The score was 12-14, we were leading by 2.
This could be it. Winning this will secure us our semi-finals seat.
They attacked. Isa and I readied ourselves to block, and we did! We blocked them!!
We are on to semis!! After years of prayers, hardwork, and frustration, we're finally here!
As we celebrate, I was on the middle of the court waiting for the hug from a certain 5'11 who I used to celebrate with since college.
I was waiting for that damn celebratory hug but everything went blur when I noticed that she was not coming towards me...
"Cait!" she said loudly as she launched herself towards Caitlyn, who was just beside me, by the way.
I hurriedly turned around and looked somewhere else, to my other teammates, who were celebrating behind me.
"Semis na tayo, girls!!" I said, trying to sound cheerful kahit medj masakit 'yung nakita ko.
It was me before. We used to celebrate our loses and victories together. You used to hug me immediately after the games... It is all now before.
"Hey, ate Mads, good game! Semis na ulit tayo, ate!" Deanna said as she walks with me papuntang locker room.
"Yes, Deans. Finally, we're here na. Tuloy na natin 'to hanggang championship!" I answered, smiling at Deanna genuinely. Deserve ko at ng teammates ko 'to.
Deanna started to rub the back of her neck. A habit that usually tells she has something to say but she doesn't know where to start.
"You can tell me everything, remember?" I asked her.
"Ano kasi, ate eh..." she started whilst scratching her forehead.
"Come on." Pamimilit ko and I even tugged her to an empty room para may privacy kami.
"Makahila naman, 'te Mads eh."
"You're not answering me kasi."
"Okay, okay.. Ano kasi ate, I saw you kanina. Nung we were celebrating inside the court. I saw how you looked at her and how you quickly turned around para hindi mo makita what they were doing. Ate, are you okay?" Deanna asked with a concern in her voice.
Be strong, Madeleine!
"Ano ka ba? Of course! I was just shocked sa lahat ng nangyari, but I am okay. Ngayon pa ba ako malulungkot na we're heading to semis na? Duh." I answered, trying to sound so convincing.
"Swear?" Deanna asked one more time and the tears that I am holding back since I saw what happened right after the game started to fall.
I am sobbing right in front of Deanna.
"Ate Mads..." Deanna cooed, embracing me, rubbing my back.
"It just hurts to see how happy she is now without me, Deans. We used to do that before eh. She used to do that to me since college. We were partners for life she once said pero ano 'to? What's happening, Deans? Bakit ganito na?" I sobbed.
"I think, ate Bei was hurt. She was badly hurt when you decided to be with you know who, ate."
"I understand her, Deans. Trust me, I really do. It just hurts to see that everything changed between us, and the things we once did together are not really that special pala kasi she does it with her na din."
"You two were hurt, ate. And it's just you found comfort with other people, and 'yun nga lang, nasasaktan pa rin kayo pareho sa actions ng isa't isa. You two need to talk and sort things out."
"I don't even know if she wants to talk the talk that you're talking about, Deans." I said, finally wiping the tears off my face.
"If hindi man ngayon, I hope next game. Charot lang. But seriously, I hope you two would talk na about it, ate. I miss your kulitans." Deanna admitted, leading the way out of the empty room.
"Sana lang... " I wasn't able to finish my sentence because the moment we got out of the empty room, napadaan din sila sa harap namin. And by sila, I mean Bea and Caitlyn.
"Anong nangyari?" Cait asked.
"Wala. Nagdrama lang si ate Mads about sa pagkapanalo natin." Deanna answered, smiling.
I looked at Bea and she's looking at me too. I know she knows me too well. Alam nyang hindi dahil sa game kaya halatang galing ako sa iyak.
"Hatid kita mamaya. Let's talk." She said.
I was surprised and couldn't answer immediately.
"Mauna na kami sa locker room." Deanna said, dragging Cait with her.
"I... I mean, are you sure? Wala ka bang lakad?" I asked. It's just that it somehow feels weird that she wants to hatid me and talk to me. I am not dumb, I know she wants to do the talk that Deanna was talking about.
"Wala. So, I'll wait for you outside. I know you'll be the last one to finish your shower as usual."
"Kung nagrereklamo ka, 'wag na lang." I said and umirap sa kanya. I started to walk towards the locker room.
Ang attitude ko pa rin, parang hindi ko lang sya iniiyakan kanina ah.
"Oh come on, Madeleine. Stop the attitude and swag, we're not on the court anymore. I'll wait for you, okay? No buts, no nos. Go take a shower na. It'll take you forever to finish pa naman." Bea said, slightly pushing me to get my things.
"Copy, captain!" I said whilst rolling my eyes.
I hope this talk will clear things out for us. I hope this will lead on to something great.
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Nakadepende na po sa ganap next time 'yung result ng talk. Char. Pero 'yun na nga. So, sana may ganap na malala. Please, BD.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, companies, locations, events, and incidents in this book, unless otherwise noted, are either imaginary or the result of the author's imagination. Any similarity to actual individuals, living or dead, or to reality is completely coincidental.